Modulation of longevity in Daphnia magna by food quality and simultaneous exposure to dissolved humic substances

Various abiotic and biotic factors determine the natural fluctuations of Daphnia spec. populations; food quality and dissolved humic substances (HSs) being among these factors. In this contribution, we try to disentangle the relative impact of food quality and simultaneous HSs exposure on the fertility and longevity of D. magna. It is understood that HS-mediated stress leads to reduced fecundity in well-fed D. magna females; hence, it was expected that poor food, as a second stressor, would aggravate the HS-mediated effects. Three diets were tested: the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, baker’s yeast alone, and baker’s yeast plus dissolved ascorbic acid, and exposed D. magna to a HS preparation which has been shown effective in previous bioassays. It was hypothesized that the lifespan and fertility of D. magna would be best when fed green algae, and worst when fed only baker’s yeast. However, contrary to these expectations, any addition of HSs reduced the stress caused by poor food quality and increased lifespan and fecundity. In the yeast series, asexually produced diapausing eggs occurred via a so far unknown pathway. With yeast diet, the expanded lifespans were slightly above, whereas the increased offspring numbers lay below, the corresponding data of the algae-fed individuals. The potential of HSs as an additional food source and as a means to extend the lifespan is discussed. These findings open the innovative perspective that under low quality food conditions, additional stressors at certain intensities may even be beneficial to individuals and populations.     

Environmentally-induced plasticity of life history parameters in the cladoceran Simocephalus vetulus

Key life history parameters significantly differed between two different clones of Simocephalus vetulus originating from different habitats, i.e. a fishless pool and a fish pond. The following fitness-related traits were studied: lifespan, age at first reproduction, interclutch period, number of clutches, and number of embryos. In general, in relation to the fish pond clone the fishless pool clone revealed longer lifespan and higher fecundity due to more frequent clutches, contributing to a higher fitness. Higher food quantities decreased the lifespan but did not alter fitness-related traits except for a shorter interclutch period. The Simocephalus clone from the fishless pool matured earlier in low food conditions, while the fish pond clone matured earlier in the high food conditions. The switch in food concentration between the subsequent generations significantly shortened the lifespan in the fish pond clone but revealed no effect in the fishless pool clone.     

Exposure of dissolved organic matter to UV-radiation increases bacterial growth efficiency in a clear-water Alpine stream and its adjacent groundwater

In many streams, microbial growth largely relies on terrigenous organic carbon that has been initially stored in soils and that is generally believed to be recalcitrant to microbial metabolism. The various mechanisms that underlie the availability of terrigenous organic carbon as it enters streams remain poorly understood. One possible mechanism can be photodegradation of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC) upon exposure to sunlight in streamwater. To explore this, we experimentally exposed streamwater, shallow groundwater and soil water from a clear-water Alpine headwater stream, and both soil and algal extracts, to UV-radiation and studied the effects on DOC optical properties and implications for microbial growth. Our results on the apparent quantum yield suggest that DOC from groundwater and soil water is more resistant to photodegradation than DOC in the streamwater itself. This would highlight the relevance of the exposure history of DOC to sunlight. Overall, UV-radiation decreased the aromaticity (as SUVA254) of the DOC and reduced its molecular weight as indicated by the slope ratio, S _R (S _275–295/S _350–400). UV-treatment significantly increased bacterial growth rate and bacterial growth efficiency in the streamwater, soil water, groundwater and soil extract but not in algal extract. Our findings suggest photodegradation as one mechanism that contributes to the microbial utilisation of terrigenous DOC even in clear-water streams.     

Dynamics and sources of dissolved organic carbon during phytoplankton bloom in hypereutrophic Lake Taihu (China)

To establish the influence of phytoplankton blooms on the dynamics and sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in Lake Taihu, the concentrations and stable carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) of DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) were analyzed, along with environmental factors, including water temperature, chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration, phytoplankton community and total bacterial abundance, from March to August 2013 at five sites in Lake Taihu. Significant differences were observed in the DOC concentrations and δ¹³C_DOC values at the sampling sites. On average, the proportion of DOC in the total organic carbon (TOC) pool ranged from 30% ± 10% to 81% ± 7%. POC was positively associated with both Chl a concentration and cyanobacteria biomass, suggesting that cyanobacteria blooms contribute to the POC pool in Lake Taihu. Depleted ¹³C in DOC relative to POC was observed in August, indicating that DOC was partially derived from POC in August. However, Chl a explained only 40% of the variation in DOC in the entirety of Lake Taihu, and at two sites far from the estuary, the contribution of allochthonous carbon was less than 50% in August. These results suggested a greater influence of allochthonous sources on the DOC pool. Moreover, the biodegradability of DOC was further determined by the total dissolved carbohydrates to DOC ratio (TCHO/DOC), specific UV absorbance (SUVA₂₅₄), and the concentrations of bioavailable DOC (BDOC). On average, 17% of the variation in DOC was attributable to the BDOC pool, and the BDOC concentration correlated positively with Chl a, cyanobacteria biomass, and total bacterial abundance, suggesting that cyanobacteria–derived DOC is biodegradable and is preferentially utilized by bacteria.     

Leaching and microbial degradation of dissolved organic matter from salt marsh plants and seagrasses

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is outwelled from highly productive salt marshes, but its sources and fates are unclear. To examine common salt marsh plants as sources of coastal DOM, two dominant salt marsh vascular plants Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemarianus, and two major coastal seagrasses Syringodium filiforme and Halodule wrightii, were collected from a Florida salt marsh and studied using laboratory incubation experiments. We investigated the leaching dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from these plants, in conjunction with our field investigations of the sources and outwelling of DOM from Florida salt marshes. The leaching of DOM and CDOM from the plants was a rapid process, and leaching rates were 65–288 µM/g dry weight/day for DOC and 3.8–16 µM/g dry weight/day for TDN from different plants in the bacteria-inhibited incubations. DOC was proportional to TDN in the leachates, but the quantity of C and N leached was dependent on the species and growth stage of the plants. At the end of the 25-day experiments, 5.4–23 % and 10–45 % of solid phase C and N were released into DOC and TDN pools, respectively. Bacteria played an important role during the leaching process. The majority of DOC and TDN leached from marsh plants and seagrasses was labile and highly biodegradable with 56–90 % of the leached DOC and 44–72 % of the leached TDN being decomposed at the end of the experiments. The fluorescence measurements of CDOM indicate that organic matter leached from marsh plants and seagrasses contained mainly protein-like DOM which was degraded rapidly by bacteria. Our study suggests that leaching of DOM from salt marsh plants and seagrasses provide not only major sources of DOC, TDN, and CDOM that affect many biogeochemical processes, but also as important food sources to microbial communities in the marsh and adjacent coastal waters.     

The effect of heavy metals on the survival,reproduction, development,and life cycles for two species of polychaetous annelids

The effects of exposure of six metals on survival and reproduction in two species of polychaetous, Ctenodrilus serratus and Ophryotrocha diadema, possessing short life histories were measured. The suppression of reproduction was generally two orders of magnitude less than the 96 h LC₅₀.     

Cycling of two carbon substrates of contrasting lability by heterotrophic biofilms across a nutrient gradient of headwater streams

Anthropogenic impacts can significantly alter stream nutrient and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) delivery and composition. Nutrient and DOC cycling in headwater streams, however, are linked via a variety of complex feedbacks that are, in part, influenced by DOC composition emphasizing the need to investigate coupled nutrient–DOC interactions. This study assessed differential incorporation and mineralization of ¹³C labeled glucose and vanillin by heterotrophic microbes within epilithic biofilm communities in four temperate headwater streams spanning a 100-fold range in total dissolved nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorous concentrations. The substrates were traced via ¹³C analyses of DOC, dissolved inorganic carbon, bulk biofilm, and individual biofilm phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) to assess total incorporation of the substrates and the distribution of substrate use within the heterotrophic community. Results indicate greater nutrient uptake by high nutrient streams with glucose additions relative to vanillin additions and support the hypothesis that nutrient retention in high nutrient streams is hampered by a lack of labile C sources. Vanillin-derived C uptake was only detectable in PLFA from the highest nutrient stream and was dominated by eukaryotic organisms, likely including fungi. This suggests biofilms in high nutrient streams are better adapted to access relatively slow turnover substrates perhaps due to their composition and overall structure. PLFA-based glucose use efficiencies were greatest in the lowest nutrient stream supporting the hypothesis that labile DOC sources are used more efficiently by heterotrophs in less impacted streams, while biofilms of high nutrient streams are better adapted to utilizing a wider array of DOC sources. This adaption is likely a result of exposure to the lower quality DOC pools in high-nutrient streams resulting from high DOC uptake supported, in part, by fast turnover autochthonous sources of DOC. Nutrient retention in nutrient-rich streams, however, is still likely limited by readily bioavailable DOC leading to lower nutrient retention and downstream nutrient enrichment.     

Distribution and photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter in northern Gulf of Mexico shelf waters

The distribution and photoreactivity of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the northern Gulf of Mexico along the Louisiana coastal shelf were examined during three cruises in summer 2007, fall 2007, and summer 2008. The influence of the Mississippi River plume was clearly evident as CDOM levels (defined as a₃₀₅) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were well-correlated with salinity during all cruises. Elevated CDOM and CDOM:DOC ratios of surface samples collected offshore of Atchafalaya Bay and the Breton-Chandeleur Sound complex indicated emanations of organic-rich waters from coastal wetlands are also an important source to nearshore shelf waters. Generally, CDOM and DOC levels were highest in surface waters and decreased with depth, but during summer 2007 and summer 2008, CDOM levels in near-bottom samples were occasionally higher than at mid-depths without concomitant increases in DOC. CDOM photobleaching was measured during 24 irradiations using a SunTest XLS+ solar simulator with photobleaching rate coefficients (k₃₀₅) ranging from 0.011 to 0.32 h⁻¹. For fall 2007 and summer 2008, higher k₃₀₅ values were generally observed in samples with higher initial CDOM levels. However, samples collected during summer 2007 did not exhibit a similar pattern nor were there differences in photobleaching rates between surface and bottom samples. Spectral slope coefficients (S_275-295 or S_350-400) and DOC levels were largely unchanged after 24 h irradiations. Modeled CDOM photobleaching for northern Gulf of Mexico mid-shelf waters predicts that during the summer when solar irradiance is high and the water column becomes stratified, nearly 90% of the CDOM in the upper 1 m may be lost to photobleaching, with losses up to 20% possible even at 10 m depth.     

Reproductive traits and conservation needs of the endemic gammarid Laurogammarus scutarensis () from the Skadar Lake system,Balkan Peninsula

Europe is one of the global hotspots of freshwater amphipod diversity with a number of endemic species, yet many of European freshwater ecosystems are under extreme anthropogenic pressure. Studying the biology and ecology of endemic species may substantially help to assess risk of extinction and define proxies for their conservation. Laurogammarus scutarensis is a Balkan endemic and the only species within the genus Laurogammarus G. Karaman 1984. Its distribution is restricted to temperature-stable, cool waters of the springs, streams and lower sections of a few rivers emptying to the north-western part of the Skadar Lake in Montenegro – an area under heavy anthropogenic pressure in recent years. We examined life history of the species in a limnocrene spring with year-round stable temperature (10 °C ± 0.5) by estimating its population structure over a year, fecundity, reproductive period and relationship between photoperiod and reproduction. These parameters were compared to those of other gammarids, including invasive species, in order to estimate the role of photoperiod in shaping life history of L. scutarensis, and to give insight into the possible conservation needs for that species. Our results show that the species is univoltine and its reproduction continues round the year. However, its intensity is synchronised with seasonal day length changes with the highest share of females breeding in spring and early summer. The population sex structure is strongly female biased in most of the year. Number of eggs laid depends positively on the female body length; however the mean brood size (15.53 eggs) of L. scutarensis is rather low when compared to other species. Also partial fecundity and mean body length at which individuals start to reproduce indicate that its reproductive potential is much lower than that of many other gammarid species, including those colonising many European water bodies in recent years. Concluding, the studied life history traits of L. scutarensis combined with its very narrow distribution range and peculiar thermal requirements reported in the literature provide as with the hint to define the species as vulnerable to threats posed by the habitat degradation and competition with other species. Taking into account the risk of invasion by alien species and progressive habitat loss, we are of the opinion that L. scutarensis should be recognised as an endangered species and that a conservation plan should be implemented to prevent its possible extinction.     

Photodegradation of autochthonous and allochthonous dissolved organic matter in a natural tropical lake

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is one of the most abundant fractions of organic matter in aquatic systems and plays an important role in the dynamics of aquatic environments, controlling both the penetration and the underwater light radiation climate. DOC can be photodegraded by light, thus facilitating biodegradation, especially in regions where the incidence of solar radiation is high, such as higher altitudes and lower latitudes. This study quantified the photodegradation of dissolved organic material in a natural tropical lake surrounded by native forests (Brazilian Atlantic Forest) through two experiments: i) the first experiment exposed concentrated autochthonous, allochthonous, and lake water to in situ solar radiation; ii) this experiment also exposed the same organic material to artificial UV radiation in an incubator under controlled conditions. The quality and quantity of dissolved organic carbon were measured using indices based on carbon absorbance and fluorescence spectrum. In the in situ experiment, it was observed that the DOC degradation profile of the concentrated allochthonous and autochthonous organic material were distinct from each other in the absorbance indices, and the lake water mostly resembled the latter one. On the other hand, we did not see evidence of any significant difference among treatments in the laboratory experiment. An increase in the SR index and a concomitant decrease in the fluorescence of humic compounds and SUVA₂₅₄ over time were observed. In both experiments, the amount of degraded organic material over time was low and some possible explanations are discussed.     

Application of Ultrafiltration for Characterization of the DOC of Elbe River Water

An ultrafiltration methodology and the results of its application on Elbe river water are presented. Compared with other methods, Ultrafiltration allows fractionation of the molecular-weight fractions of DOC for higher volumes of solution in a shorter time. To characterize the molecular-weight fractions, the sum parameter DOC (β(DOC)) and the absorption coefficient at 254 nm a₂₅₄ were measured, together with determination of a₂₅₄/ β(DOC) for further characterization of the DOC fractions and to provide information about changes in parts of the UV-active substances of the total dissolved organic material. In the period May 1992 to November 1994, the DOC molecular-weight composition of 65 samples of Elbe river water were determined. At two sampling locations (Torgau-East and Meissen), the DOC content β(DOC) was approximately 6 mg/L. The high-molecular weight fraction (> 10000 g/mol) gave a mean of 13% of the total DOC content β₀(DOC). The measurements showed that the molecular composition of DOC in the Elbe does not greatly differ. There was also no clear seasonal influence on the molecular-weight composition of the DOC content. During the period of investigation, the percentage part of β(DOC) and a₂₅₄/β(DOC) of the high-molecular weight fraction of the total dissolved organic material increased, while the a₂₅₄/β(DOC) values of the middle molecular-weight fraction remained fairly constant. The dependence of β(DOC) on discharge of the Elbe river is low. Changes in molecularweight composition of DOC were only observed during the steepest increase in river discharge during a flood event, with another spectrum of substances responsible for the increase in β(DOC) when compared with the β(DOC) for low or middle water level.     

Seasonal succession of cyanobacterial protease inhibitors and Daphnia magna genotypes in a eutrophic Swedish lake

Lakes are well known for having a pattern of seasonal succession of phytoplankton and zooplankton. The succession of different taxa of phytoplankton results in a succession of zooplankton taxa, and within the genus Daphnia, into a succession of different genotypes (clones). One cause for this succession of Daphnia clones might be the production of digestive protease inhibitors by cyanobacteria, which usually bloom in summer. Here we report seasonal changes in the frequency and the abundance of Daphnia magna haplotypes in a eutrophic lake, which developed a chymotrypsin-inhibitor-producing cyanobacterial bloom in May. These seasonal changes were not related to changes of biotic and abiotic lake parameters. However, a very high content of chymotrypsin inhibitors was observed in May (but not in other months). This was assumed to have exerted a strong punctual selection pressure on the Daphnia population and on the direct targets of the protease inhibitors, i.e. the digestive chymotrypsins of Daphnia. Actually, D. magna from before and during the cyanobacterial bloom showed a different protease pattern on activity stained SDS-PAGE in comparison to clones from the month after the bloom. However, no difference in tolerance, measured as IC₅₀ values, to inhibition by natural lake seston from May was found between the clones from before and after the bloom. Thus, the hypothesis that a seasonal adaptation of D. magna subpopulations from either April/May or June might have occurred could not be proven. This suggests that the Daphnia population investigated here is locally adapted to cyanobacterial protease inhibitors.     

Diel variation of dissolved organic carbon during large flow events in a lowland river

Diel variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) within lotic systems has been reported on numerous occasions. However, to our knowledge there has been no published work on diel DOC variation within lowland rivers during high flow events. We sampled DOC at 4 h intervals from two sites across two distinct flow regimes in the regulated lower Namoi River, Australia. This included a large flood (mean flow 224 m³ s⁻¹ and a peak flow of 376 m³ s⁻¹) sampled every 4 h for 10 consecutive days. DOC concentrations were significantly greater at night than during the day (P < 0.05) and the mean DOC concentration was 23.4 mg L⁻¹ at night compared to 18.9 mg L⁻¹ during daylight hours. The magnitude and duration of flow within this lowland river system and the mobilisation of large quantities of allochthonous carbon appeared to play a role in increasing DOC concentration and the diel difference.     

Sources of particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the St Lawrence River: isotopic approach

We investigate sources of both dissolved and particulate organic carbon in the St Lawrence River from its source (the Great Lakes outlet) to its estuary, as well as in two of its tributaries. Special attention is given to seasonal interannual patterns by using data collected on a bi‐monthly basis from mid‐1998 to mid‐2003. δ¹³C measurements in dissolved inorganic carbon, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), as well as molar C : N in particulate organic matter (POM), are used to bring insight into the dynamic between aquatic versus terrigenous sources. In addition, ¹⁴C activities of DOC were measured at the outlet of the St Lawrence River to its estuary to assess a mean age of the DOC exported to the estuary. In the St Lawrence River itself, aquatically produced POC dominates terrestrially derived POC and is depleted in ¹³C by approximately 12‰ versus dissolved CO₂. In the Ottawa River, the St Lawrence River's most important tributary, the present dataset did not allow for convincing deciphering of POC sources. In a small tributary of the St Lawrence River, aquatically produced POC dominates in summer and terrestrially derived POC dominates in winter. DOC seems to be dominated by terrestrially derived organic matter at all sampling sites, with some influence of DOC derived from aquatically produced POC in summer in the St Lawrence River at the outlet of the Great Lakes and in one of its small tributaries. The overall bulk DOC is relatively recent (¹⁴C generally exceeding 100% modern carbon) in the St Lawrence River at its outlet to the estuary, suggesting that it derives mainly from recent organic matter from topsoils in the watershed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

同形溞(Daphnia similis)对幽蚊幼虫反捕食策略的模拟研究

枝角类溞会由于捕食者的存在而发生形态、行为、生活史等的变化.通过为期10 d对太湖春、夏季优势种同形溞(Daphnia similis)在有幽蚊幼虫(CL)、无幽蚊幼虫(CK)及培养过幽蚊幼虫的过滤水(FL)3个环境水平的模拟实验,发现同形溞在有幽蚊幼虫和培养过幽蚊幼虫的过滤水处理下平均体长、累积产仔数及平均产仔数均显著大于无幽蚊幼虫组,表明幽蚊幼虫释放的信息素能改变同形溞的体长、产仔数等生活史参数,这种改变会降低同形溞被捕食的风险.说明在自然环境下,幽蚊幼虫等无脊椎捕食者能通过直接捕食和信息素的间接作用共同影响枝角类种群.     

Spectroscopic investigation of humic substances in a tropical lake during a complete hydrological cycle

Fluorescence and UV‐VIS techniques were employed for the investigation of natural organic matter (NOM) of a tropical lake. The relationships of absorbance/dissolved organic carbon (A/DOC), fluorescence intensity/dissolved organic carbon (FI/DOC), fluorescence ratio (FR), and peak wavelength with the highest intensity (PW) were used to distinguish the pedogenic or aquagenic origin of NOM. The values of FR, PW and A₂₈₅/DOC of high waters (HW) or flooded period samples and of low waters (LW) period samples of the dry season, except for September 2002, confirm the predominance of pedogenic material. The spectra of water were similar to the standard fulvic acid (FA), and the spectra of FA from the lake were similar to the nearby soils, indicative of pedogenic predominance. The results confirm that the dissolved NOM of Patos Lagoon – MS (Brazil), in all sampling periods, predominantly consisted of humic substances (FA) of pedogenic origin.     

Comparison of marine and river water humic substances in a Patagonian environment (Argentina)

Structural aspects of humic substances (HSs) in marine waters of Engaño Bay (Atlantic Ocean) and water from the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) were compared. The HSs were isolated, purified, and analyzed using a multiple-method approach for structural characterization: elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C and ¹H NMR), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-visible absorption and fluorescence. Similarities between the marine and freshwater components were evaluated on the basis of N and O contents, H/C and C/N atomic ratios, infrared bands from nitrogen-containing and carboxylic groups, percentage of functional groups obtained from NMR spectra, spectral slope coefficient of absorption spectra, absorbance ratios at 250 and 365 nm (E ₂/E ₃), aromaticity, excitation–emission matrices and fluorescence quantum yield. Both the Engaño Bay and Chubut River waters have HSs that are mainly composed of fulvic acids (FAs); although they are very similar, they may be distinguished from one another. Similarities include the predominance of aliphatic carbon content (low aromatic content); however, the water bodies differed in their content of proteins and carboxylic acids. The Engaño Bay FAs have mainly an aquatic origin; although the Chubut River FAs suggest a similar aquagenic origin, there is also evidence of contributions from pedogenic FAs.     

基于CDOM吸收特性的东北地区水库DOC浓度遥感估算

有色溶解性有机物(CDOM)广泛存在于水体中,占溶解有机碳(DOC)10%～90%,其浓度影响水环境碳循环过程、污染物质迁移以及水生生物群落的结构和功能。为分析东北地区水库DOC碳循环情况,本文于2015—2020年对第二松花江流域典型水库白山水库和丰满水库进行5次现场观测和室内实验,在分析CDOM吸收特性的基础上,基于Landsat系列卫星利用波段比值法建立CDOM浓度反演模型(R²=0.82),根据实测值CDOM与DOC的强相关性(R²=0.78),进而估算水库DOC浓度。结果表明：(1)利用野外实测数据和Landsat系列卫星能够对东北内陆水库CDOM浓度进行良好反演,(2)2000—2020年白山水库和丰满水库年际CDOM和DOC浓度变化不大,在2010年之后表现出轻微上升趋势,CDOM浓度从支流和干流的汇入到主库区呈现逐渐减少趋势,(3)白山水库和丰满水库M值(CDOM在250和365 nm处吸收系数比值)和S_275～295(CDOM在275～295 nm波段处的吸收光谱的斜率)较小、SUVA_254<...     

Assessing the Relative Bioavailability of DOC in Regional Groundwater Systems

It has been hypothesized that the degree to which a hyperbolic relationship exists between concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved oxygen (DO) in groundwater may indicate the relative bioavailability of DOC. This hypothesis was examined for 73 different regional aquifers of the United States using 7745 analyses of groundwater compiled by the National Water Assessment (NAWQA) program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The relative reaction quotient (RRQ), a measure of the curvature of DOC concentrations plotted versus DO concentrations and regressed to a decaying hyperbolic equation, was used to assess the relative bioavailability of DOC. For the basalt aquifer of Oahu, Hawaii, RRQ values were low (0.0013 mM^?2), reflecting a nearly random relationship between DOC and DO concentrations. In contrast, on the island of Maui, treated sewage effluent injected into a portion of the basalt aquifer resulted in pronounced hyperbolic DOC‐DO behavior and a higher RRQ (142 mM^?2). RRQ values for the 73 aquifers correlated positively with mean concentrations of ammonia, dissolved iron, and manganese, and correlated negatively with mean pH. This indicates that greater RRQ values are associated with greater concentrations of the final products of microbial reduction reactions. RRQ values and DOC concentrations were negatively correlated with the thickness of the unsaturated zone (UNST) and depth to the top of the screened interval. Finally, RRQ values were positively correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP), and the highest observed RRQ values were associated with aquifers receiving MAP rates ranging between 900 and 1300 mm/year. These results are uniformly consistent with the hypothesis that the hyperbolic behavior of DOC‐DO plots, as quantified by the RRQ metric, can be an indicator of relative DOC bioavailability in groundwater systems.     

Field validation,in Scotland and Iceland,of the artificial mussel for monitoring trace metals in temperate seas

The artificial mussel (AM), a novel chemical sampling device, has been developed for monitoring dissolved trace metals in marine environments. The AM consists of Chelex-100 suspended in artificial seawater within Perspex tubing and enclosed with semi-permeable polyacrylamide gel at both ends. To validate the field performance of the AM in temperate waters, we deployed AMs alongside transplanted blue mussels Mytilus edulis in coastal environments in Scotland (Holy Loch, Loch Fyne, Loch Striven and Millport) and Iceland (Reykjavikurhöfn, Gufunes, South of þerney, Hofsvik, Hvalfjörður and Sandgerði) for monitoring trace metals. While uptake patterns of Cd between the AM and M. edulis were highly comparable, discrepancies were found in the accumulation profiles of the other metals (Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn), in particular Zn. Nonetheless, the AMs gave a better resolution to accurately reveal the spatial difference in dissolved metal contamination when compared with M. edulis. AMs complement the use of mussels since AMs indicate dissolved metals in seawater, whereas uptake by mussels indicates a mixture of dissolved and particulate metals. Our results also indicated that historical metal exposure of the transplanted M. edulis could significantly confound their metal concentrations especially when the deployment period was short (i.e. <34 d). This study suggested that the AM can overcome problems associated with variable biological attributes and pre-exposure history in the mussel, and provides a standardized and representative time-integrated estimate of dissolved metal concentrations in different marine environments.